Device for facilitating the counting of ballots



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DEVICE POR PAGILITAT'ING THE GOUNTING OPBALLOTS. No. 468,972. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

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' I. S.PEAR.

DEVISE FOR FAG'ILITATING THE GQUNTING OP BALLOTS.

Patented Feb. 16,1892.

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I.-S.'PEAR. Y DEVICE POR FACILITATING THB'GOUNTING 0F BALLOTS. n No. 468,972. Patentedfeb. 16,. 1892.

',LlNrriiD STATES ISAAC S. PEAR, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR FACILITATING THE COUNTING OF BALLOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.' 468,972, dated February 16, 1892.

Application iiled November 20, 1890. Serial No. 372,067. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC S. PEAR, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Device for Facilitating the Counting of Ballots, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for facili'- tating the counting of ballots cast under the Australian syst-em of voting; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given, and in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is an elevation of my invention, with a series of ballots arranged therein in position for counting, with one Aof the clamping-bars raised. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line on Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a partial section on line y y on Figs. l and 2.

In thedrawings, A is a rectangular frame, preferably made of wood, though other material may be used, and havin g secured therein the panel B, made of glass or other transparent material, through which thenanies and marks on the ballot can be seen.

The frame A has hinged to its upper and lower bars two clamping bars or plates C C, the movable edges of which project over and cover portions of the upper and lower edges of said panel, said clamping-bars being secured in clamping position by means of the spring latches or bolts a, secured to the frame A, and constructed and arranged to engage with sockets b, formed in the edges of said bars, one at or near each end.

Each of the clamping bars or plates C C has secured to its under side, near its inner edge, a strip of rubber or other elastic material c, of suitable dimensions to bear upon the ends of the series of ballots D D when arranged in position on the panel B, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the ballots cast under the Australian system of Voting are taken from the ballot-box, they are folded with the names of the candidates voted for upon the inside of the sheet, and every ballot has to be opened i out, so as to bring the names and marks to View. In counting the ballots by the use of all of the columns of cross-marks at the right of the page are visible, care beir g taken to arrange the ballots so that the same list of names upon all of the ballots shall be upward and that the same name on all the ballots shall be in the same line horizontally. Vhen the bal-y i lots are properly arranged on the panel B, the clamping-bars are turned down, so that the elastic strip c bears upon the ends of all the ballots, so as to hold them firmly in position, said bars being held in such depressed positions by the spring-actuated latches or bolts a. The inspector then reads off the names on the left-hand ballot in succession with the number of cross-mark opposite each name, which numbers are set down under the vappropriate names upon a tally-sheet. The in- Spector then `turns the frame over, so as to expose the names and cross-marks upon the opposite sides of the ballots, if any, which are visible through the transparent panel B, and in like manner reads off the naines and the number of cross-marks opposite each name, which are set down in their proper columns by his assistant. Vhen the ballots have all been counted in this way, the columns under each name are footed up in the usual way to give the grand total. Of course the inspector and his assistant should, when opening out, refolding, and arranging the ballots in the frame, scan the ballots carefully, and if any are irregularly marked-that is, at the left of the blank space provided for said niark, so that when arranged in the frame said marks would be hid from view by a ballot overlapping it-s`aid irregular ballots should be laid one side, and if counted at all should be counted by themselves and without placing them in the frame.

By the use of my invention a saving of at least one-half in the time required to count the ballots may be made.

I do not wish to be confined to the use of clamping-bars hinged and secured in clamping position in the precise manner shown in the drawings, as it is obvious that said bars may be applied in a variety of Ways with substantially the same result, the essential thing in regard to such bars being that they shall press upon the ballots when in .position and be readily and easily removable when it is desired to remove the ballots or place a new series in position on the panel.

Vthat I claim as new, and desire to' secure by Letters Patent of the United. States, is-

1. In a device for facilitating the counting of ballots, the combination of a 4transparent support adapted to receive a series ot ballots arranged to overlap each other and a pair of movable clamps constructed and arranged to bear one upon each end of said series of ballots-without covering any names or votingmarks thereon.

2. In a device for facilitating the counting of ballots, the combination of a transparent panel, a frame surrounding said panel, and a pair of movable clamps attached to said frame and constructed and arranged to press upon the ends of a series of ballots arranged upon said panel Without covering or obscuring any names or voting-marks thereon.

3. In a device for facilitating the counting of ballots, the combination of a transparent panel, a frame inclosing said panel, a pair of movable clamps for holding a series'of ballots in position on said panel, and latches or catches for holding said clamps in clamping position.

4E, In a device for facilitating the counting of ballots, the combination of a transparent panel, a frame inclosing said panel, a pair of movable clamps for holding aseries of ballots in position on said panel, and a strip of rubber or other elastic material attached to the underside of each of said clamps and adapt ed to bear upon said ballots with a yielding pressure.

5. In a device for facilitating the counting of ballots, the combination of a transparent support to receive a series of ballots, a pair of movable clamps, each provided with an elastic bearing-surface constructed and arranged to bear upon said ballots with a yielding pressother, so thatthe names of the candidates on all the ballots except one will be hid from View and that portion of one page of each ballot upon which the voting-marks are placed will be exposed to view, counting the several cross -marks in line withl each candidates name upon the page that is upward in succession, and then turning the clamped series of ballots the other side up and counting the several cross-marks in line with each candidates name that is then exposed to View.

7. The combination, with a group or Series of election-ballots arrranged to overlap each other, as described, of a clamping device for securing said ballots in said overlapped positions, whereby the voting-marks oppositeeach Canddatesname on one side of said ballots may be counted, and then the groupL of ballots may be turned over and the voting-marks upon vthe other side of said ballots may be counted without the necessity of rearranging said ballots.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 15th day of November, A. D. 1890. p ISAAC S. PEAR.

Vitnesses:

N. C. LOMBARD, WALTER E. LOMBARD. 

